DAMSEL RULES

EL'S

s too long, give them a r

car to show up-esp

e coach with logistics-then made the mistake of checkin

cou

nah's messages sparkled with glitte

AT: CROS

d! Mama's driver picked u

someone holding a "

en mad. I wasn

low engine hum. A sleek black SUV pulled up besi

me the low voice

i

sleeves rolled up. His hair was damp from a post-game rins

ms. "What are y

d. "Waitin

d, folding my

ay you glared at Luke earlier told

n't gl

y a guy like Luke. Still, I gave him my number when he ask

It was im

. "So now you're fo

that make me a sta

Just sus

ug. Just... small. Like he

oming

y shoes were thin. M

ot

ther. Quiet music played from the spea

elt,"

nd stared ahead, as if the wi

ed past us in shades of rust and neon. I could feel him

e not exactly a peop

specific

nds. Your mom. Maybe a teach

orgot

reath. "Right. You're y

't every

ded. "

nce

u're good

nk y

doesn't lo

plan to

ver. "Do you

x by wi

her

ngers on the steering wheel, then asked,

ime. Visit m

spi

I answer

for drama, just to cu

slowly. "I

It's not

feels to watch someon

He wasn't looking at me now.

d not

my street

drop me o

d in his seat. "You sure yo

ot fra

t say yo

ed for

mse

ed. Ir

He held out a small folded card

it into

d it's Denzel, not da

me, da

zel," he corrected hi

I didn't look back

'S

g hurts the most when

ent. When no one knows what to say. When the person acro

ved from the ches

Didn't even flinch. She said "Ch

what made

above me, mocking how quickly she dismantled my game. I'd trained for that tournam

beat me in twen

able," I

zed. A messa

hey.

t to say. I wasn't supposed to still care

d her skill. I just wasn't used to losi

. It was seeing his eyes drift towar

-focused and

s rare. Most people, he ign

one something he didn't expect. He looked at

to a bun, trying to shake off

want

g that involves

ll brin

't help

hing walls.

no punches. o

a knock

in," I

his head in.

Just thinking about

h already too old to pretend we were real siblings-too old to forget we weren't actual

badly. She just

hanks,

at as a co

anbag chair. "You'll rematch her. You'll p

care abou

ia

him a

Okay, okay. You care.

. "She w

as int

notic

went

said slow

ver happen

op

u don't think she'

t have a type. He has a pat

ow," I b

helps, I think she

doesn'

"You'll get over your

ly. "I don't see t

etween us. Then my

cupcakes. open the d

een. "He brought cupca

pcakes whe

those frosting days, huh? You w

up, du

made myself a promise: I could lo

to R

itely not